I’m having a bit of a crisis as I write this blog. It took me a while to put together this 6 panel strip and I think I may have committed to the idea too early. Because I realized after I finished the comic, uploaded it and started writing the transcript for the web site that there really isn’t much of a punchline. Just an angry exchange.

There should have been more of a twist at the end. Maybe a bottle of Jergen’s falling out of Tom’s pocket, or something. “I HAVE DRY SKIN!” could have been his defense. Alas, I finished too early.

And if you think you can make a joke out of that last statement, the work is already half-way done for you.

The genesis of the comic’s plot came from a truthful place, however. I’ve been begging Cami to see Black Swan with me for weeks. She’s declined citing a certain level of discomfort with the much-publicized lesbian hook-up between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.

I’ve talked to friends who have seen the movie and they’ve confirmed it’s no big deal. Nothing graphic. But Cami has not been persuaded.

I don’t know exactly what kind of debauchery she thinks will be splashed on the screen, but she remains unconvinced that this is a movie she needs to see.

Truthfully, the shine has worn off a little bit for me as well. Now that the critical praise has died down, it’s evident to me that Black Swan is a Grade-A mind trip – a Darren Aronofsky specialty.

You have to be in the right frame of mind to watch Aronofsky’s films. They’re challenging and often uncomfortable. That’s a hard sell when you’re the parent of two small children and your movie choices are limited. Do you pick the film that entertains or the film that discombobulates you for three days?

Hey! You have work in the morning and the kids need their breakfast! Sorry, son. Daddy’s mind has been scrambled by an auteur who sought to explore the psycho-sexual underbelly of the bleeding arts.

Like I said – a tough sell.

I’m trying to convince Cami that she’ll be kicking herself when Portman wins the Oscar for Best Actress. At this point, it seems almost inevitable. She has the groundswell behind her and Academy voters are sheep. I don’t mean to imply she’s not deserving (without seeing the movie, I can’t say for sure). But when it comes to the Oscars, once a campaign goes in a certain direction, it’s hard to turn the tides.

I guess I’d like to talk to the family that thought this might be a good film to watch over the Christmas holiday when it originally came out. I imagine there were some grandmothers expecting an intriguing film about ballet that were in for a rude awakening…

How about you? Have you seen Black Swan yet? Does it live up to the hype? Was it everything you thought it would be? Leave your opinions in the comments below.

Oh, and also – if you have time – be sure to check out the new Bonus Materials section of the site. It’s a secondary blog where I post trailers, reviews and other movie-related odds and ends… Stuff that doesn’t really have a place on the home page or that is unrelated to the comic.

Credit where credit is due – I stole this idea completely from Gordon McAlpin’s Deleted Scenes blog over at Multiplex. But he gave me his blessing and things are cool. We’re like internet brothers who will loan each other our jackets on a windy day.

Aww…

Anyway, swing by the new blog. I’ll be updating it occasionally. Sometimes multiple times a day, sometimes not at all. I just wanted something untethered from the comic where I could post random bits. Y’know… someplace that WASN’T Facebook.

Although, in truth, they’re probably end up there as well.

Don’t forget to toss in your two cents about Black Swan! New comic next week! Cheers!